Rise Against – The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol.1

Distorted, detuned guitars are usually the hallmark of Rise Against albums, so it’s refreshing to hear their tunes presented as acoustic arrangements on The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1. Compared to the originals, none of the songs have fundamentally changed, which is a good thing. Tim McIlrath’s silky-smooth vocals on “Audience of One,” the surprise ukulele on “Faint Resemblance” and the haunting chords of “Like the Angel” are all strong highlights. Newer tracks like “Miracle” and “House on Fire” from the band’s last studio LP, Wolves, come alive with fresh orchestration to back them up. It’s also admirable that Rise Against went to the trouble of making new recordings for this collection, rather than just dusting off some forgotten B-sides and slapping them together for a quick cash-grab. Despite its clunky title, The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1 does a good job of stripping down the band to its core, showing that they can be both powerful rockers and emotionally complex songwriters when the need arises.